The Cherry Blossom Bet
by a certain slant of light
Summary: Exasperated by her captain's antics, Nanao agrees to a playful accord: she'll get drunk if he gets sober. [ShunsuiNanao]
1. The Setting Stakes

**Author's Note:** I started writing this about four or five weeks ago, and have since had major writer's block with the last chapter. I finally squeaked it out, however, so now I'm overjoyed to be posting this! Shunsui and Nanao are my Bleach OTP, so writing this was tons of fun. I'm not quite sure myself, but I'd like to think the timeframe is before the Aizen arc. I hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach, nor any of its respective characters, settings, etc. If I did, there'd be a lot more hot smex goin' on in Eighth Division right about now.

* * *

Chapter One:  
The Settting Stakes

Shunsui Kyouraku lay in his favorite position: sprawled out on the floor, haori a pink puddle around him, his hat angled just so as to protect his eyes from the sun that bathed him. It was spring, and he purposefully left the doors ajar to allow the soft pink cherry blossoms to float in. It was his favorite decoration for two reasons: it looked beautiful and, unlike trees or wreathes, it set itself up. He could just lie back and watch the season coat the room lazily. He figured that he and spring had quite a bit in common.

As it were, the floor of the room was a cedar lake swimming with frail pinkened petals. The warm sun leaked in, seeping a fantastically languorous atmosphere into the very walls. Everything was thick with the aroma of dew, pollen and a hint of sake. He was almost completely at ease, and could feel his mind slipping happily closer to the realm of sleep. Just a few more seconds… Almost there…

"Captain!" a curt voice called to him, slicing through the pleasantly dusty air. Shunsui barely kept himself from cringing.

"Nanao-chan," he drawled, slightly offset. "You're ruining the moment."

She sighed in exasperation, a noise that completely drowned out the songbirds' crooning. "I will ruin more than that if you do not do your paperwork."

This time he did cringe. Raising a hand – heavy with the unrealized anticipation of a good nap – he cocked his hat up an inch or two to see her. She stood out among the background: her hair was flawlessly set, not a strand out of place, and her glasses defied the natural beauty the petals had created.

Shunsui sighed. "My lovely Nanao-chan, can't you see that it's naptime? I will do it later."

He noticed her eyebrow twitch, and for a moment feared for his physical well-being. "Captain Kyouraku, you know the agreement."

His face fell as he recalled the memory that spring's splendor had temporarily erased: she had told him the previous night, whilst he was in a drunken stupor, that she'd hide all his sake until he finished his duties. Of course there was always his emergency reserve, but something told him that efficient, perfect Nanao-chan already knew where it was and had secured it with a deadbolt.

He heaved another sigh, this time in defeat. "Very well."

He supposed that if Nanao were used to smiling, she would have then. Instead she went to the closet, got a broom and began sweeping all the flower petals out the door. He would have been a little annoyed if he didn't already know that she was fighting a losing battle – the cherry blossoms would float in until the end of spring, which was considerably far away. He absentmindedly wondered how Rangiku could enjoy spring, what with being cooped up with Captain Hitsugaya, who literally reeked of winter's essence.

Noticing the glare Nanao was shooting him from the beneath her short eyelashes, he brushed away the errant thoughts. Heaving himself up, he ambled to his desk with feet heavy as lead, and with fingers that twitched and shrieked at the thought of scribbling his signature a hundred times over.

* * *

The signing of documents was painstakingly (yet unsurprisingly) slow-going. He so rarely subjected himself to the torture (Nanao took care of most of it while he was napping or out drinking with Rangiku) but when he did, it was always the same chore. He would read the first two or three leaflets with intense concentration and then write off the rest with little regard. He knew exactly what all of them said, and the gist of it was: "Hello, the Office of Forty-Six intends to do this, so please sign the dotted line. If you have any complaints or objections, please list them here, though we will most likely ignore them and do whatever the hell we want anyway."

Due to that timeworn formula, for the last seventy or so pages he had been absent-mindedly dipping the brush into the pot and writing his initials, all the while training his eyes on Nanao and (more precisely) her bottom. He watched her go about the room with the broom, sweeping out petal after petal, never stopping until the floor was spotless. With her anal-retentiveness, he knew she could be at it for hours; every time she cleared the last petal out, one more drifted in. It was a repetitive cycle that was clearly driving her a little mad, but she still would not close the door. His lips curled into a grin.

"What are you so happy about?" she asked, looking up from the broom's bristles. "Paperwork is never fun when I do it."

"Oh, my perfect Nanao-chan," he purred, dragging the brush across the paper just as he dragged the words across his tongue. "You're so considerate."

To that, she gave him an odd look. "Are you even looking at the documents?" she asked as the broom's straws scratched against the floorboards.

Shunsui chuckled. "Of course, Nanao-chan! You know how seriously I take my work."

Nanao rolled her eyes, reflexively pushing her glasses onto the bridge of her nose. He had trouble stifling an entertained snicker, knowing that pushing up her glasses meant she was both irate and amused. He wondered if she knew that he could read her as easily as she could read that big mysterious book of hers.

"Captain!" came her voice, clipped and a little alarmed. Her shielded eyes stared at his hands. Curious, he looked down to see that he had in fact finished with the papers, and had just signed his name in deep black ink all over the antique desk.

"Oh dear," he muttered as the ink spread sluggishly into the small crevices in the mahogany. Propping the broom against the wall, Nanao rushed over and plucked a handkerchief from her bosom, quickly tidying up his mess. He blinked, wondering what else she kept in there.

"Honestly," she scolded, "I think you're more mindful when you're drunk."

He watched as the ivory cloth wiped away the last of his wandering thoughts and smiled. "Speaking of which, may I have my sake now?"

He saw a vein pulse in her temple as she glanced outside. "It's not even four o'clock!"

Shunsui gasped dramatically. "Then I'm late! I should definitely be on my second bottle by now!"

Nanao tossed the handkerchief into the trash and straightened his haphazard pile of papers. "You could not go an entire day without it, could you?"

He shrugged. "My mind works better under the perversion of alcohol."

She nearly laughed. "You don't need alcohol to make you perverted."

He watched her resume sweeping and leaned back in his chair, letting his fingers rest their weary joints. "You belittle me, Nanao-chan. So cruel!"

She sighed. "My apologies, Captain."

He set his expression to a solemn one and slumped his shoulders theatrically. "Well, there is only one way to heal this ego you have so utterly decimated."

"And how is that?" Nanao asked, and he sometimes wondered why she bothered to humor him.

He gave her his best puppy dog stare. "A kiss, of course!"

If her eyes had held any sympathy, it had been swept away with the cherry blossoms, out the door, off the balcony, and carried by the wind to God knows where. Again, her sleek black eyebrow twitched and she leered. "Somehow I think you will survive."

Shunsui's lips fell quickly from an amorous pout to a dejected one, though he hadn't really expected her to say anything else. "Lovely Nanao-chan, you are the frigid winter to my warm spring."

Groaning, Nanao ignored him and continued sweeping. After a few moments of silence, a thought struck the captain. Leaping up from his chair, he grinned triumphantly. "Oh, I know another way you could repay me for your cruelty!"

"Not until six o'clock," she said flatly.

He shook his head. "No, no, of course not! Come drinking with Rangiku-chan and I tomorrow night."

She stopped her sweeping and gave him a blank stare. "You know I don't drink."

He shrugged and smiled. "There is a first time for everything, my winter beauty!"

She rolled her eyes, the motion partly obscured by the sunlight glinting menacingly off her glasses. "No thank you."

"Please," he pleaded, knowing that the sight of a drunken Nanao would be more precious than all of spring's cherry blossoms combined. "You need to loosen up."

"And you need to settle down!" she said frankly. Realizing the futility, she sighed. "How about a deal then?"

Shunsui bit back a smirk – with Nanao, a deal was one step away from a yes. "And what might that be, Nanao-chan?"

She stood stick straight, demonstrating the perfect posture he both loved and abhorred. "You must forgo sake for twenty-four hours."

His face fell. "What?"

She looked at him over the top of her glasses, which he knew meant she was feeling a bit playful. "If the sight of me drunk is so important to you, you being sober for one day seems like a fair trade, does it not?"

If he were not such a man, he would have whimpered. An entire day without his sweet, sweet sake? What was spring without it? Without the delicious bittersweet taste rolling across his tongue, what meaning would the cherry blossoms hold? It seemed like a waste of a perfectly lovely evening.

He looked at her then, about to concede defeat, and was enveloped in new resolve. She stood there, her hair a sleek, incarcerated affair. Her eyes were stern, staring through those black frames that demanded preciseness. Her lips were set in a firm line, far belying their true fullness. Her uniform was immaculately set without so much as an unintentional wrinkle to be found. Her shoulders were exceptionally squared, her feet too, and she stood there holding a broom that seemed flimsy and lopsided in comparison. Suddenly the sight of her stumbling about, hair cascading over her shoulders and into her eyes, lips split open in a drunken giggle, was soul-shatteringly irresistible.

"I accept," he said finally, pushing the dread of a sake-less night from his mind.

She blinked, bemused at first, and then nodded. "Very well."

Nanao resumed sweeping, and he could practically hear (over the grating of bristles) the cogs of her mind whirring. She was trying to think of a way to bargain herself out of being drunk, or perhaps a scheme to switch all his alcohol for something less potent.

He crossed the room, lay down on the sofa and pulled his hat over his eyes before smirking. _Oh no, my little Nanao-chan, you'll not get away this time._ For even though he knew she had the power and will to switch his secret stash for cleverly disguised water, there was no way she could possibly know about his secret, secret stash.


	2. Thy Lady Lush

**Author's Note:** I think I'm going to die. I've reread and reedited this at least ten times, and though that might not sound very bad, it's more torturous than it seems. Not that this chapter is bad; quite the opposite, actually: it's one of the best things I've ever written, in my humble opinion. (And, yes, I did just use a semicolon and a colon in the same sentence.) Either way, I'm ecstatic to finally be able to submit this. If I made any errors, _please_ point them out to me. I've put a lot of effort into this chapter, and it was very fun to write and I hope just as much fun to read! (An as an afternote, Rangiku is a pleasure to write, and Shunsui and Nanao even more so. I've never really had such a huge OTP before.)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach, nor any of its respective characters, settings, etc. If I did, Kaien would have a way bigger role right now and I wouldn't be so confused about who the hell he actually is. Also, there would be some tangible HitsuHina hurt/comfort scenes, like I've been wanting for the past, oh, one hundred chapters.

* * *

Chapter Two:  
Thy Lady Lush

The morning of the next day was hell. In defiance of their treaty, Shunsui had drunk as much sake as he dared the night before. Somehow he convinced himself that all natural laws would be bended so that he would get just intoxicated enough to preserve the sake-induced euphoria all through the next day.

It didn't come as a big surprise (to Nanao at least) that he was wrong.

Shunsui spent most of the morning and early afternoon hunched over a bush or the trunk of a tree. It was so because Nanao refused him entrance into his room, saying that hell would freeze over before she'd clean up his drunken remnants. He had to wonder why hell would need to freeze over when she was such an ice queen already.

By four o'clock, Shunsui's mind was sufficiently sober and his stomach sufficiently empty. Finally allowed into his (own) room, he plopped listlessly onto the couch and was about to fall into a graceless nap when Nanao appeared over him. For once, he was not in the mood to see her stern face.

"Your twenty-four hours begin now," she said, voice calm as a river and intent cruel as the undertow.

He shot up, eyes wide and back ramrod straight. _"What!"_

She nodded, and he would have thought she'd be biting back a grin of victory were she not so prudish. "While you're not vomiting, you can truly enjoy the freedom of sobriety." There she was again, looking at him over the frames of her glasses.

Shunsui struggled for words but found none. He managed to squeak out a few barely audible "buts," and that was the extent of it. When she concluded that he had nothing tangible to say, she turned and resumed sweeping. Falling back onto the couch in defeat, his resolve hardened all the more. That night he vowed to get her very, very drunk. He wouldn't do anything too terrible (he was a gentleman after all), but he'd have to show her the virtues and curses of life on Sake Street.

* * *

At six o'clock, Shunsui was unceremoniously shaken awake. Eyes fluttering abruptly open, he was greeted by a not-too-unpleasant sight – two of them, in fact.

"Rangiku-chan?" he asked, his voice slightly dazed and his mouth still rank from his earlier unfortunate encounters with the shrubberies.

Said woman stood and placed her hands on her hips. "Get up, Kyouraku-kun! It's already six o'clock!"

Scratching his head, he steadily rose and glanced around the room. He could see Nanao sweeping quietly in the corner, trying very hard to be inconspicuous. _She should know better than that,_ he thought. Perhaps she could go unnoticed by others, but she would never go unnoticed by her captain.

"You hear that, Nanao-chan?" Despite his grogginess, his voice rang clear as a bell and twice as harmonious.

He could see her stiffen before she turned, striving to become the essence of collected elegance. He knew elegance was one of the few things she had trouble portraying. "Really?" she asked innocently.

He smiled and nodded, getting up from the couch to stand victoriously beside his drinking partner. Rangiku and Shunsui exchanged looks, each fully prepared to drag Nanao by her heels if need be. "You know what that means?"

"Time for your nap?" Nanao ventured, though her tone was wary. Rangiku giggled a little wickedly, and the motion accentuated her assets. Then again, everything Rangiku did accentuated her assets.

"Wrong, Nanao-chan!" he said just to annoy her, knowing how much she hated to be wrong about anything. "It's sake time!"

As if on cue, Rangiku pulled out two bottles of sake from God only knew where, and cheered. "I'm so excited!"

Nanao cleared her throat deliberately and her eyes wandered to the stack of papers on his desk. "But there's so much paperwork to be done," she lamented, sounding wistful.

Shunsui had expected that. He knew that was only the tip of the iceberg: she must have prepared countless escape routes for herself. Not to mention the fact that the paperwork had just been sitting there all day – _not_ getting done – must have been torture for her impeccable self. He almost felt sympathy for her, realizing she would rather sign papers than drink sake with him. However, knowing just how his Nanao-chan worked, he was not discouraged.

"I shall do them tomorrow," he told her regally. "After all, with my newfound freedom of sobriety, I should be able to get through them in a flash!"

"But," she interjected, "the Office…"

"Ah ah ah!" He shook a finger at her disapprovingly. "They'll be done so fast the Office won't even know they were late. Now come, I'm ashamed that you'd try to wiggle out of a goodhearted deal between friends."

"Exactly!" chimed Rangiku. "What kind of vice-captain are you to betray your captain's trust?"

That one struck a chord and Nanao's expression hardened. "Excuse me?"

Rangiku grinned, pleased with herself. Before Nanao could get a word in edgewise, the busty blonde had crossed the room and linked arms with her, dragging her out the doorway and into the warm evening. "I was thinking, since it's such a nice time of year, that we should drink outside! You seldom get many people out here at this hour, so it should be nice and private, and we'll have a fantastic view of the forest. Not to mention the moon's near full and…"

Rangiku trailed on with Nanao barely listening, and Shunsui chuckled as he followed behind them. He enjoyed seeing all the different variations of apathy and annoyance that Nanao's pretty face could conjure, and was more than excited to see that normally unabashed visage spread into a wide, inebriated grin. To think, all those years he'd spent thinking that watching other people drink wasn't fun. He had a feeling this was to be one of the most rewarding nights of his life.

They finally arrived at where Rangiku intended to go: a grassy hill surrounded by small blossoming cherry trees. It was still in sight of the square, but in front of them lay a lush little forest. As the sun slowly set and the moon eagerly rose to take its place, the sky shifted from blues to pale pinks and was presently deepening into a light purple. The contrast of the cherry petals to the evening hues was heavenly, and would be almost romantic if not for the purpose of their presence. The purpose, of course, was simple: in this lovely knoll that was the essence of springtime perfection, they were solely there to get Nanao hammered.

They all took a seat, the grass comfortable and coated in cherry blossoms beneath them. He could hear them shake and rustle as Nanao shifted uncomfortably, and for a moment he felt a little guilty. Then he remembered their agreement, and her locking him out in the morning, and him heaving his dinner from the past week into a rosebush, and he suddenly felt infinitely better.

"I really think that paperwork should be done tonight," Nanao muttered, but was silenced when Rangiku all but shoved a bottle in her face.

"Drink," she said simply, taking a swig herself. She glanced playfully at Shunsui and stuck her tongue out. "None for you, gramps!"

He rolled his eyes. "Haven't you heard? I'm on the straight and narrow now."

Rangiku barked with laughter. "What's next, celibacy?" She turned to Nanao. "After this, you should try to get him to not have sex for a week. Now that would be a real record!"

Nanao nearly spit out the sake she had finally managed to swallow. "And what would I give him in return?" she croaked, surprised and genuinely confused.

Shunsui tried very hard not to laugh, overcome with anticipation. One sip and she was already asking stupid questions!

Rangiku grinned, nudging Nanao's side with her elbow. "Well, what did you give him in exchange for sobriety?"

"I promised I would…" her sentence trailed off as the realization dawned and her entire face flushed pink for a moment. Rangiku laughed again, taking a long sip of her own sake and handing Nanao another bottle. Nanao, however, was not even a quarter through her first one.

Nanao cleared her throat awkwardly, but Rangiku had just begun her fun. "You should do it. You two are the only interesting thing around here right now. Captain Hitsugaya can be so boring, and he's especially cranky in spring."

"Rangiku-san!" Nanao reprimanded. "You should not speak of your captain that way."

Again, Shunsui's drinking partner grinned. "Oh? And what about the way you speak of Captain Kyouraku when it's just the girls?"

Nanao glared, and Shunsui again had to bite back a laugh. _Not yet,_ he told himself, trying desperately to tether his amusement. Instead, he asked curiously, "Oh, and what do you say, Nanao-chan?"

She rolled her eyes. "I say that's it's annoying that you call me 'Nanao-chan.'"

He smirked and glanced over at Rangiku who shook her head and raised her eyebrows suggestively. Nanao was sharp, but already her senses were dulling.

When the dark-haired vice-captain whirled around to see where he was looking, she leered at the blonde. "Stop that!"

"What?" she asked. "It's true."

"Oh?" tried Nanao, taking another bitter sip of sake. "Then isn't it true you're always spouting off about Kira-san's graces in bed?"

Rangiku's eyes flew wide. "Hey!"

Nanao shrugged. "You reap what you sow."

The blonde huffed. "Shut up and drink more sake."

For some reason Nanao obeyed. It was not long after she had drunk the entire bottle that Rangiku handed her another (on top of the one she'd already given her), and the conversation again resumed complete silliness. Shunsui's excitement mounted when he noticed Nanao's emphatic arguments and the slightest tinge of a slur lagging behind her words. She had lasted longer than he'd expected, but victory was near.

"What's your favorite season?" Rangiku asked her, the question before having been, "Nanao-chan, what's your favorite color?"

"Spring!" Nanao answered enthusiastically, sake bottle in one hand and blossoms flowing through the other.

"Really?" Shunsui asked, surprised. "Why?"

She turned to him and placed a finger to her lips, shaking her head. "It's a secret."

He grinned as she downed the rest of the bottle, knowing his fastidious Nanao-chan was now thoroughly drunk. He decided it was the best time to venture, "So, what _do_ you say about me, lovely Nanao-chan?"

Rangiku smirked, following their conversation and only half tipsy. Her hands went to Nanao's hair, fiddling with the back and trying to free it. To both Shunsui and Rangiku's general shock, Nanao did nothing to stop her. Instead she tried to glare at her captain, though it came off looking more ridiculous than threatening. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Of course I would," he told her simply. "I asked, didn't I?"

"Well," she said, straightening and trying to look like she possessed authority, though swaying a bit as she did so. "I'll tell you." She took a meaningful pause there, partly for effect and partly because she started to wobble a bit and had to right herself before continuing. Once stable, she punctuated her statement with, "I think you're a coquet."

Shunsui laughed merrily. "Is that so?"

Nanao nodded vigorously, and the action was the last step in freeing her hair. It fell just a little past her shoulders in rumpled black waves, over her eyes. "Yes! You're always flirting with women all the time! But you never mean it!"

Rangiku grinned, tousling Nanao's locks and receiving a glare. "She's right."

Shunsui smiled and found that he was so amused his fingers didn't even itch for a sake bottle (but, oh, how they pined to run through his vice-captain's hair). In actuality, he was a little intoxicated off of Nanao's unbelievable drunken persona. "I never say things I don't mean, Nanao-chan," he told her, and purposefully made his tone dark and sultry.

She blushed and batted him on the arm. The attack would have hurt under normal circumstances, but her wrist was limp and her mind foggy. She laughed. "See! There you go again!"

He smiled but shook his head. "Not so." He was tempted to pull her into an embrace to prove his point, but knew that she'd all but kill him once she was sober again. That was if she remembered, of course.

Nanao looked at him skeptically, but took another swig of sake and finished off the bottle. She leaned backwards with the motion until she fell onto the grass, petals drifting up beside her. She laughed, tossing the bottle to lay with he other she had finished and the two Rangiku had already emptied. As her giggles subsided she looked up at the sky, presently a dark orchid color streaked with diamond stars.

Shunsui seized the moment and used her distraction to enjoy her freed beauty. Her hair was no longer restrained by that cruel clip of hers – instead, it cascaded over her shoulders and acted as a blanket that covered the sheet of cherry blossom petals. Her glasses, rather than perching precariously on her nose as usual, were resting gaily on top of Rangiku's blond head. He enjoyed watching Nanao's pretty eyes dance as they glided over the forms in the sky above them. Her lips were twisted upward in a giggle, flushed and full and looking unfathomably kissable. Even her uniform was a bit rumpled by her slackened posture as she lay in the blossoms, falling open a bit as her chest rose and fell with her laughter.

When her bare gaze shifted to meet his and her merriment subsided, he had little time to react. "You always call me pretty," she said to him simply, voice barely a curious muttering.

He blinked out of surprise, tuning out Rangiku's laughter and redundant claims of the shapes she saw in the sky. "That's because you are."

She shook her head, leaning up on her elbow to look at him. "No, Rangiku-san's pretty."

At that, Rangiku grinned and jutted her chest out. "Sure am!"

They ignored her and Nanao continued frankly, "I'm plain."

Shunsui sighed and shook his head, removing his hat and wondering how to broach the subject. "There are many different types of prettiness, Nanao-chan."

He barely caught her mumble, "Yeah, and Rangiku-san's got two big ones."

He chuckled lightly, leaning down and resting on his elbow, mimicking her pose. "Rangiku-chan is the outgoing, bubbly type of pretty."

Tuning in, the blonde leaned over Nanao and smacked his arm. "And sexy!"

Shunsui rolled his eyes. "And sexy." Rangiku nodded and went back to her musings with the clouds and petals. Again, he turned to his vice-captain. "You're the educated, immaculate, smart type of pretty."

"Really?" she asked, and her tone was neither inquisitive nor impressed. "Because I thought I was an ice queen. That's what you always say, isn't it?"

He exhaled tentatively, cautious of where to tread with a drunken Nanao. "You are, but that's why you're pretty."

She didn't seem satisfied with the answer and took another sip of sake. "Well, I don't think you're handsome," she told him snidely.

He was about to play the scandalized card when Rangiku collapsed over Nanao, breasts threatening to flee from their precarious hold in her uniform. "That's not true!" the blonde practically sang.

"Rangiku-san!" Nanao protested, but was silenced by Rangiku's hand over her mouth.

"Actually," she whispered, though she might as well have been yelling, "she thinks you're very handsome."

"I do not!" Nanao cursed from behind Rangiku's slack fingers. "You're lying!"

Shunsui grinned and leaned forward, playing along with his fellow conspirator and genuinely interested in how much of it was true. "Is that so, Rangiku-chan?"

His drinking partner nodded despite being constantly shaken around by Nanao, who fought for freedom beneath the blonde's impressive (and surprisingly heavy) bust. "In fact, she gets a little jealous whenever you and I go out drinking."

"Really?" asked Shunsui, even as Nanao screamed bloody murder.

"Yup!" she replied perkily. "Told me herself at one of the Women's Association meetings! You come up surprisingly often, Kyouraku-kun."

He was about to ask more when Nanao finally heaved her friend off, and the devilish blonde's face was replaced with a peeved Nanao's. "That isn't true!"

He rolled his eyes just to get a rise out of her. "Oh, I'm sure it isn't," he droned, purposefully sounding unconvinced.

Nanao seethed, glaring at Rangiku who laughed heartily. Her gaze returned to Shunsui, fiery and a little pleading. "I didn't! I said you were an insufferable man with an addiction to drinking and a complete lack of priorities!"

He erupted into laughter at that, and Nanao whirled around to leer accusingly at Rangiku. "Tell him you're lying!"

Rangiku, between bouts of giggles, obeyed. "All right, all right, I was lying!" She paused for a moment before continuing, "She actually told me over dinner, not at an Association meeting."

Both Shunsui and Rangiku were laughing as Nanao barely resisted screaming out of frustration. She pounded her fists into the ground, knocking numerous empty sake bottles over. "That's not true, damn it!"

Noticing Nanao's genuine anger, Rangiku set her giggles aside and patted her on the shoulder. "Fine, fine, she didn't say anything of the sort."

Shunsui pouted. "Why not, Nanao-chan?"

Nanao took a vigorous swig of sake and glared at him. "Because you really are insufferable!"

"Insufferably handsome," Rangiku muttered, but was silenced by a glare.

Shunsui allowed himself a few final chuckles before turning to greener pastures. "Now, now, let's not get in a tizzy. Why don't you tell me why your favorite season is spring, Nanao-chan?"

He received a curt glance. "I'm not sure you deserve to know now."

"I'll tell you why!" Rangiku chimed in, raising her hand as if in school.

Nanao huffed and finished off her sake bottle, ignoring Rangiku. "I want to go home," she said flatly, her statement followed by a tiny hiccup.

"Aw, why?" Rangiku wondered innocently, her shoulders also jumping with a hiccup.

"Because I'm tired," Nanao told her, a blatant and ill-disguised lie. Either way, there was no arguing with her, even when she was drunk.

Shunsui sighed, but despite all he was quite happy with the way the night had turned out. "Very well," he conceded and stood up, grabbing his hat and placing it on his head. He extended a hand to Nanao. "Shall I take you home, Nanao-chan?"

"What about me?" Rangiku whimpered even as Nanao glared at his outstretched palm.

He rolled his eyes. "You're not as drunk as you look," he said, and she gave him a sour stare. She would have gone on to complain about how it was too early to stop drinking, but knew she'd find Kira someplace and continue the ritual with him. Rangiku begrudgingly stood, took a small sip of her sake and wandered back to civilization, searching fervently for Third Division's vice-captain.

"I will be fine," Nanao finally grumbled, brushing petals off her lap and knocking away errant bottles. She stood too quickly for herself and wobbled, her equilibrium sent whirring by the uneven footing of the hill. She fell unintentionally forward into the waiting cradle of her captain's arms, collapsing awkwardly against his partially exposed chest.

She blushed, even as he shook with chuckles. "Will you, my clumsy Nanao-chan?"

Her eyes narrowed and tried to steady herself, failing miserably. Finally resigning herself to taking his arm, she reflexively motioned to push her glasses onto the bridge of her nose. Her eyes widened when she only wound up poking herself between her brows. She glanced around wildly. "My glasses!"

"Calm down," he cajoled, helping her to stand straight. "Rangiku has them. Despite being drunk, she's very responsible with other peoples' belongings. I'm sure you'll get them back tomorrow."

Nanao was not entirely comforted, but in her current state felt ill at the thought of running after the blonde. Instead she concentrated heavily on the rise and fall of her steps, watching her feet and hoping she wouldn't stumble and embarrass herself in front of her captain – not that she hadn't already.

"So, now that we're alone," he began, and she nearly dreaded what he would say next, "would you mind telling me?"

"Telling you what?" she asked, her voice curious despite her best intentions to come off as uninterested. The dim firelight burned her eyes, announcing their approach of the main square of Eighth Division.

"Why spring is your favorite season."

She snorted, a sound she didn't make often and that he thus found amusing when it came from her. "You'd make fun of me."

He was veritably shocked. "I would never make fun of you, Nanao-chan!"

"Yes you would!" she retorted. "You make fun of me every day!"

Shunsui stopped, glancing down at her in confusion and concern. "Whatever do you mean?"

Nanao shook off his arm and turned to face him. "It's true! 'My Nanao-chan' this and 'O, my Undying Love' that. All you do is mock me!"

He frowned, eyes sympathetic. "Nanao-chan, I never mean it as poking fun."

She rolled her eyes, and the action set her balance off a bit. He reached out to steady her but she refused his touch. "You only poke fun because you can't poke something else," she muttered spitefully.

His frown deepened. "That's not true."

She waved a hand emphatically, dismissing him. "It doesn't matter. Just take me home."

His eyebrows drooped and he resumed walking beside her, this time keeping a respectful distance. He was still in shock: she thought he was mocking her? In truth that had been his furthest possible intent.

In the meantime Nanao tried to comport herself with as much dignity as possible. He was slightly impressed by how quickly she could revert from being flirtatious and girlish to her prudish ice queen façade, but all that was quickly wiped away as her toe snagged on a rock and she was sent tumbling. Instinctively, he used shunpou to rush forward and catch her before she got within hair's breadth of where the ground awaited her ungraceful landing. Before she could argue, she was swept into his arms and braced against his chest protectively.

He waited for an indignant response – perhaps a verbal jab or something more physical – but was most surprised when he heard the soft whistling of her breath. She was asleep. In fact, she felt either content or unaware enough to take some of his haori in her hands, nuzzling closer into the fabric and seeking out his familiar scent. The affectionate action caught him off guard, but he allowed her the indulgence and said nothing, instead continuing onto her apartment and relishing the contrast of her beautiful black hair against the silky pink weave of his haori.

Even though he took his time and moved with impossibly slow steps, they arrived at her door all too soon. Frowning, he opened it and wandered inside. Having never seen her living space before, he wasn't very surprised. The foyer, living room and kitchen were all clean to the point of being sterile. Not a single thing was out of place, and he frowned when he realized no art hung on the walls. He found the entire affair depressing, but brushed the thought away as he entered her room.

Leaning forward as gracefully as possible, he moved her covers away. Setting her down gently, he tucked her body beneath the white blanket. She mewled a bit, her sleepy lips twisting up in a tiny smile, and he grinned. With delicate fingers he brushed the hair from her eyes and, despite himself, leaned down to place a chaste kiss on her forehead.

"Sleep well, my Nanao-chan," he whispered, rising and about to leave. "May you remember me in the morning."


	3. My Dearest Diamond

**Author's Note:** Here we are with the concluding chapter of The Cherry Blossom Bet! This story was a joy to write, and I had such, such fun! I can't think of much else to say, since I'm incredibly tired, other than the obvious: thank you for reading and I'm so happy you were along for the ride! If you enjoyed this story (or are just a fan of Shunsui/Nanao or my writing), it'd serve you well to take the following poll! Again, thank you so much for reading and an even bigger thanks for your kind comments!

Yes, I do love writing cliché corny sweet situations.

**Important Poll:** Do you want a sequel involving Rangiku's kinky suggestion? You know the one. (HINTCELIBACYHINT)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach, nor any of its respective characters, settings, etc. If I did, it would be much more Shunsui/Nanao-centric.

* * *

Chapter Three:  
My Dearest Diamond

When the morning after rolled around, Shunsui wasn't the least bit surprised that Nanao was late for work. It did, however, come as a shock when she arrived at ten o'clock in the morning – he'd expected her to miss the entire day. He certainly would have, had he drunk as much the previous night.

"Good morning, Nanao-chan!" Shunsui sang, finishing up the last of the documents.

"What are you doing?" she asked. While she tried to sound regal, she squinted, and he didn't envy the migraine she undoubtedly had.

"Oh, just doing the paperwork," he told her airily. "You know, us _sober_ people feel a responsibility to our occupations."

Nanao rolled her eyes. "You sound like Matsumoto-san."

Shunsui laughed, topping off the pile of paper and rising from his desk. "You should lie down, Nanao-chan. You had quite a bit to drink yesterday."

"Shut up," she spat, and he was a bit taken aback. "I did not."

Shunsui frowned. "It's not like you to be so sour."

"Really?" she asked. "I thought that's exactly what I'm like."

He was about to protest but decided that silence was the best reply. Despite herself, Nanao made her way to the sofa and lay down, draping a hand over her eyes as the sun assaulted them.

"I got you something," he told her, ignoring her grimace as he interrupted her peace. "Wouldn't you like to see?"

"Not especially," she droned, rolling onto her side in an effort to ignore him.

"But it will make your day so much better!"

"I very much doubt it, Captain," she grumbled into the cushions.

Pouting, Shunsui crossed the room and returned in seconds. Nanao winced, the heavy sound of his footsteps sending sharp pangs through her skull.

"What?"

"You can't expect me to open it for you," he scolded playfully. "That isn't proper!"

Rubbing an annoyed hand over her face, Nanao sat up and glared at him. He responded with a smile, thrusting a large but thin wrapped gift into her hands. "For you, Nanao-chan, in commemoration of our first drunken outing!"

"That was yesterday," she told him tartly, inspecting the present with distaste.

"You won't turn away my charity, will you?" he asked, raising a dramatic hand to his heart. "This old soul won't be able to bear the shame!"

"Fine." Groaning, Nanao turned the gift over and began undoing the tape at the back.

Shunsui rolled his eyes. "That is so like you, Nanao-chan."

Her hands froze and she gave him an obvious leer. "If you don't want me to open it, then I won't."

"Not at all!" he encouraged. "Please continue!"

Muttering something foul, Nanao continued unwrapping the present with disdain. When it was finally free of its bindings, Nanao stripped away the paper, folded it and placed it neatly on the couch beside her. Shunsui barely resisted rolling his eyes again and instead opted to watch with excitement as she turned it over.

He was pleased when her eyebrows rose in surprise as she scanned the gift from behind her glasses.

"A painting?"

"That's exactly right!" Shunsui affirmed, beside himself with glee.

"But… why?" she asked, looking up at him with a mixture of curiosity and befuddlement.

"Well," he began, "I noticed yesterday that you have no art in your home. How depressing!" He wondered if he ought to continue, and then devilishly decided to add (with a tinge of dejection), "Not even in your bedroom, Nanao-chan, where all true beauty culminates."

A red flush quickly rose to her cheeks, creeping beneath her frames. "M-my room?"

Shunsui nodded. "Don't you remember?"

"No!" she exclaimed, looking quite ill. Setting the painting at her feet, she covered her mouth with her hand, looking frantic.

"It's all right, Nanao-chan," he said, sounding sympathetic. "I won't tell anyone you fell."

Looking up, her eyes were wide with surprise as her hand fell listlessly onto her lap. "I fell?"

"Yes," he confirmed. "While I was walking you home. You stumbled and before I knew it, I had to carry you all the way back to Eighth Division!" Watching relief wash over her face, he lamented, "You'll put this old man's back out, Nanao-chan."

Her stern features suddenly changed from grateful to furious. "You… you insufferable… You… GUH!"

Shunsui watched her reaction innocently, mind dancing and reveling in the fact that he had made her speechless – with anger, but that was hardly the point. "Well, of course you fell, my soused Nanao-chan. Why else would you think I was in your room?"

Standing up indignantly and balling her fists, Nanao lifted up the painting menacingly. The artwork cast a shadow as it rose above her head; her eyes shone with resolve and rage. Shunsui only felt the tiniest smatterings of regret as the beautiful work came swinging down, and soon he was encircled by the wooden frame and torn canvas.

"Nanao-chan!" he scolded. "You've ruined my gift!"

Nanao looked as if she were about to say something: her mouth opened and closed several times, emitting fractions of words and phrases. Finally unable to voice her frustration (for such was its greatness), she gave the frame a hearty push and stalked away.

Lying on the floor, Shunsui blinked and grinned, even as he heard the rice paper door close, crack and clatter to the ground.

* * *

A few hours later, Shunsui decided it was time to test the waters. Shuffling through the petals on the ground, he gradually made his way to Nanao's quaint living quarters. Placing a few light raps on the door, he did not wait for a response before sliding it an inch or two open, peeking curiously through the sliver.

"Nanao-chan?" he chimed, slipping the door open a bit more. Light flooded into the room in one long beam, the luminescent pillar widening as he continued to slide the door open. "Nanao-chan?"

"What?" came a sharp voice.

Smiling, Shunsui opened the door the rest of the way. The sun illuminated what he'd been looking for: on the couch lay Nanao, back to him, clearly trying to sleep – with minimal success.

"There you are!" he announced merrily. "I've been looking all over for you!"

"I'm sure," she said, her voice barely an annoyed groan.

Inviting himself in and not bothering to close the door, he took a seat near her feet. "You seem angry, Nanao-chan."

"Really?" she wondered sarcastically.

He nodded, even though she couldn't see. "Perhaps some sake will heal your woes?"

Moaning painfully, she placed her hands over her ears and tried to ignore him.

"Tonight is the cherry blossom festival," he informed her, changing the subject and doing away with his teasing tone. "Would you like to go with me?"

For only the slightest moment, her breath hitched in surprise. Looking up at him, she traded an incredulous stare for a frank one. "Why don't you ask Matsumoto-san?"

Shunsui rolled his eyes. "Because I want to go with you."

Falling back onto the couch, she said, "I'm sure there are plenty of pretty shinigami that would love to go with you."

"But I don't want drunken, tittering girls," he complained. "I want to go with my Nanao-chan."

"Nanao-chan's going to sleep," she told him stately. "If you have any further requests, you may talk to her in the morning."

Sighing, Shunsui leaned back on the couch. "Well, if she's going to be so sarcastic, you may tell Nanao-chan that my resolve has only hardened in the wake of her stubbornness. I will sit here until she agrees to go with me."

Grumbling, Nanao disregarded him and buried her head in her pillows.

Three slow hours passed by as afternoon crawled ever closer to evening. Cherry blossoms fluttered in through Nanao's open door as the sky faded from pastel blue to pale violet. Chattering was heard outdoors as people began to gather for the night's festivities, airy giggles and excited murmuring floating alongside the petals.

Yawning, Shunsui stretched his arms and patted Nanao's ankle. "If you'll pardon me," he told her cheerily, "I'm going to get dressed for the evening's events. Shall I return for you in an hour?"

Lurching, Nanao sat up and glared. "I'm not going."

"Nonsense, Nanao-chan!" he said, scandalized. "Tonight is the most beautiful night of the year, but even so it will pale without your presence."

"No," she said flatly.

Shunsui grinned, having prepared a trump card. "But you must remember, Nanao-chan, your cruelty earlier today. Why, you didn't even thank me for that beautiful painting, and then you smashed it over my head! My heart might never recover from the utter rejection. Why, if you were to deny me only one more time, I might have to cast this weary soul into the river…"

Her expression soured further; she lowered her head and shut her eyes tightly. "Fine."

He visibly brightened up and perkily said, "I will return in one hour, my lovely Nanao-chan!" With that, he rose and sauntered out the door, humming happily.

Cursing, Nanao rose from her sofa and begrudgingly made her way to her bedroom.

Only forty-five minutes later, a light rapping was heard at her doorframe. Egregiously annoyed but trying desperately to make the better of it, Nanao emerged from her room to be greeted by a smiling Shunsui. He still wore his zanpakutous, but abandoned his captain's robe and shinigami hakama for a white yukata with pink petal patterns, overtop of which he wore his pink haori.

She felt her cheeks redden, thinking he looked only the slightest bit dashing.

"Nanao-chan," he said, sounding breathless. It wasn't the reaction she'd expected, but she didn't exactly dislike it. Shunsui took a moment of silence to revel in her appearance: her hair was up as usual and she had on only a hint of make-up, but she wore a dazzling purple silk kimono that kissed her ankles. It wasn't pink, but he decided that would have just looked odd on his Nanao-chan. "You look beautiful."

Nanao was about to reply indignantly but stopped when she realized he'd truly meant it. Ears burning, she dipped her head a bit. "Thank you."

"Shall we go?" he asked, still a bit in awe.

She nodded mutely, but did not accept when he offered his arm. He wasn't surprised, though; he only smiled and they mutually agreed to walking side by side. Making their way to the center of the festivities, they passed by many of their friends: Ukitake was staving off Kiyone and Sentarou; Kira, Matsumoto, Shuuhei, and Renji were already half drunk; Kenpachi, Yachiru, Ikkaku, and Yumichika were all squabbling about one thing or another; Unohana and Isane were observing everyone with knowing smiles; and Hitsugaya and Hinamori were talking beneath one of the largest sakura trees. The air was filled with bubbling laughter as the clusters of people gathered to talk about whatever came to mind.

"Isn't it nice?" Shunsui asked, sounding a bit wistful.

Nanao, smiling, nodded.

As they went around greeting the others, Nanao was surprised to find that she was actually enjoying herself. The last fragments of her migraine faded as she exchanged polite banter with Ukitake, Unohana, and a rather tipsy Renji. Occasionally she even found herself participating in games. She wasn't especially fond of things like races or quizzes, but with the encouragement of Shunsui, they took part as a team. Though they rarely won – how was Nanao supposed to know which cup the ball was under? – she often found herself smiling and having fun.

As the night wore on and her heart gradually lightened, both Shunsui and Nanao decided to take a break from the amicable banter and friendly competition. Sitting down in a nearby grove, they sipped tea in comfortable silence, both leaning against the bole of a large tree.

"You did quite well in the potato counting competition," Shunsui teased, stirring a mixture of chrysanthemum, chamomile and vanilla bean.

Nanao allowed herself a light laugh. "Photographic memory."

"Ah," he replied, chuckling.

They dipped in and out of pleasantly casual conversation, continuing long after their cups were empty. Eventually Shunsui decided to broach the subject. "Why do you think I make fun of you?"

As people bustled about, mumbling off and on about how the fireworks were about to begin, Nanao glanced up at the sapphire sky and sighed. Closing her eyes, she said, "Because it's simply what you do. That's almost like asking why the sky is blue."

Shunsui looked at her with a troubled expression. "It saddens me that you think I'm mocking you."

She shrugged. "It doesn't sadden me, so it shouldn't sadden you."

"Doesn't it?" he asked. "You seemed quite sad yesterday."

Ignoring the horribly nostalgic former comment, she asked, "If you aren't mocking me, then what is it you're doing? What is it you're doing when you're supposedly complimenting me, spouting nonsense about my so-called beauty?" She turned to him, regarding him both frankly and curiously. "Women like me aren't made out to be deities, Captain. So when people are worshipping us, it's more than a little suspicious."

He exhaled heavily, eyes pleading sincerity. "It is only women like you who would think like that, Nanao." When he saw she was surprised by the lack of a suffix to her name, he seized the moment and continued, "It is because you are not made to be a goddess that you are one. You are so special and unique that when someone finds you, he had better worship you. So many people don't know what they have until they've lost it. That's why I love you, Nanao. It is because I know how wonderful you are – and I am scared to death of losing you."

Blushing at his honesty, Nanao glanced down at her fingers – nervously kneading the fabric of her kimono – and could only mutter an, "Oh."

To her surprise, Shunsui chuckled. "Though cynical you may be, you are still a diamond in the rough, Nanao-chan."

She nodded, flustered, and desperately wished she could sip more tea even if only for something to do.

Enjoying the few minutes of comfortable silence that washed over them, Shunsui decided to lighten the mood by venturing, "Why is spring your favorite season?"

Looking at him again, she wondered, "You still want to know?"

"Naturally," he assured factually, yet happily. "I want to know everything about my Nanao-chan."

Nanao unfurled her hands from the silk, forcing them to be still, and turned to face him. She seemed about to tell him when four drunken people rushed by, colliding both with the tree and with Nanao.

"Hurry!" implored Rangiku. "We'll miss the fireworks!"

"Can't we see them from anywhere?" muttered Kira pitifully as he was pulled along by the buxom blonde.

"Shut up!" Renji shouted. "Rangiku knows the best place!"

Even though the tipsy quartet was gone in a flash, Nanao and a few disgruntled cherry blossoms were the evidence of their brief interruption. She, having been knocked first by Matusmoto's hip and then by Renji and Shuuhei's stumbling knees, was now in a rather compromising position: arms sprawled over Shunsui's waist, chest pressed against his abdomen, and ear just close enough to hear the beating of his heart.

She blushed and was about to remove herself when she felt warm arms encircle her, heaving her up a bit and pulling her closer.

"The fireworks are about to start," he said.

Staring unblinkingly ahead, she swallowed deeply and nodded. Shifting just enough in his embrace to look at the sky, her face burned with sudden inhibition.

He shook with goodhearted laughter. "No need to be so embarrassed, Nanao-chan."

With some effort, she relaxed slightly and allowed herself to lean comfortably back against his chest. Before she had the chance to say anything, an ear-splitting crackle was heard, and soon lights of every color streaked across the night sky. Blues, pinks, reds, whites, greens, yellows, and every other hue across the spectrum erupted in great clusters above their heads, greeted by hoots and jeers from the crowd.

As her eyes beheld the remarkable sight, Nanao smiled softly and nestled into the crook of his arms, leaning her head on his shoulder. "Because of you."

"Hmm?" asked Shunsui, looking down curiously.

"Spring is my favorite season," she whispered, closing her eyes and huddling closer into him, "because it reminds me of you."

* * *

_The End_


End file.
